Seat Position Affects The Chances of Surviving a Plane Crash
- Times of India
VIVA – The odds of dying in a plane crash are about 1 in 11 million, but the chances of surviving depend on the choice of seating position. An aviation expert revealed a 44 percent fatality rate for travelers sitting in aisle seats in the middle of the plane, compared to 28 percent for center back seats.
A professor at Central Queensland University, Doug Drury, stated it because aisle seats offer no support on one side, passengers are more likely to be exposed to crash properties.
Passengers who are unable to secure the safest seats may have better luck surviving in the middle and window seats in the center of the plane. However, the likelihood of dying in an plane crash has less to do with where you sit and more with the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Drury shared this information in The Conversation, assuring travelers that "air travel is the safest mode of transportation." However, planes do crash, so he shares the best and worst places to sit on a plane.
He explained that in 1989, United Flight 323 crashed in Sioux City, Iowa. Of the 184 out of 269 passengers who survived, most sat in the back of the first class, near the front of the plane.
A 35-year investigation by TIME found seats in the rear third of the plane had a 32 percent fatality rate, compared to 39 percent in the middle third and 38 percent in the front third.
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Crash survivors seated near emergency exits have a faster exit route from the plane, making it more likely to get away from an incident, according to a study from the University of Greenwich.
The researchers found that seats up to five rows from the exit offered a better chance of escape in the event of a fire. However, when seated six rows or more from the exit, "the probability of dying is much greater than surviving."
